Infinity Pool
Director: Brandon Cronenberg
Writer: Brandon Cronenberg
Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Jalil Lespert, Cleopatra Coleman, Thomas Kretschmann
Part of: SLASH 1/2 Filmfestival
Seen on: 4.5.2023

Plot:
Writer James (Alexander Skarsgård) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) are on holiday in an exclusive resort on the island La Tolqa. James is hoping to finally find the inspiration for his second book there, but so far, he has been unable to progress. Gabi (Mia Goth) and Alban (Jalil Lespert) are also on holiday there, and Gabi is excited to meet James as she loved his book. The two couples connect and Gabi and Alban introduce James and Em to La Tolqa outside of the resort – an area otherwise off limits to tourists. But their foray outside has grave consequences.

Infinity Pool builds from a really cool, engaging idea. But once it has established exactly what is going on here, it falls apart and doesn’t find its footing anymore.

Infinity Pool beautifully establishes the characters and the world they move in. It’s unsettling to watch as you slowly peel back layer after layer and things become more and more unhinged. It’s the best part of the film to watch the idea and its many implications unfold here. And then the idea lies primed and ready to become more – and it just never does.

There would have been so many interesting ways to go here, and the film makes some attempts regarding racism, exoticization and the exploitation of the global south by the global north, but it never really went far enough in that regard for me. I wanted to have the focus on that particular aspect, but it was more of an afterthought.

Together with the film growing out of control, so does Mia Goth’s performance, turning shrill and shriller until she was barely bearable to watch. Not saying that she played badly, but the direction the character takes just didn’t work for me at all. It was just way too grating for me. I will admit, though, that Goth’s commitment to the performance and her skill are really admirable.

Thhe film is engaging, especially at the beginning. It is atmospheric, it looks good and those masks are something else entirely. But I left the cinema with a sense of disappointment, wanting more than what I just got – especially since the film absolutely had the potential for it. Maybe in Cronenberg’s next one.

Summarizing: worth seeing for the beginning, not necessarily the end.